"You're Pitiful" is a parody of "You're Beautiful" by James Blunt written and recorded by American parody musician "Weird Al" Yankovic. It was released exclusively online on June 7, 2006. In the song, Yankovic chides a 42-year-old man who still lives a "pitiful" existence. The song was initially scheduled to be featured on Yankovic's twelfth studio album Straight Outta Lynwood as the lead single.

While Blunt himself had no issues with Yankovic recording the parody, Blunt's record label Atlantic did; they forbade Yankovic from commercially releasing the song at the last minute. Yankovic eventually released the song online as a veritable free single; furthermore, in music videos and during live performances, Yankovic has made reference to his dispute with Atlantic. Since the initial debacle in 2006, Yankovic has occasionally reached out to Blunt and his label to see if he can release the song on compilations. However, each time that he has approached Atlantic Records, he has been denied permission.

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According to music critic Nathan Rabin, "You're Pitiful" functions as "an amusing character study of the contemporary loser."[1] In the song, Yankovic chides a 42-year-old man who still lives a "pitiful" existence. The man is described in the lyrics as living with his mother and having a job as a Slurpee machine operator. His hobbies include playing Halo 2 and dabbling in amateur Star Trekcosplay.[2][3]

In early 2006, Yankovic began recording parody songs for his upcoming album Straight Outta Lynwood.[4] Yankovic initially approached James Blunt and asked if he could record a parody of his hit song "You're Beautiful". Blunt was receptive of the parody idea, and gave Yankovic permission; on April 12, 2006, Yankovic began recording the song.[4][5] When Yankovic and his record company announced that Straight Outta Lynwood would be released on June 27, 2006, Atlantic Records contacted Yankovic and said that they did not want the parody to be released.[5]

Atlantic feared that, "it was 'too early' in James' career for a parody, and [...] that focusing any more attention on 'Beautiful' at that point might lead to the perception of James as a 'one-hit wonder.'"[6] Yankovic found this particularly odd, because in his experience, it was generally the artists who were unwilling to want parodies recorded and not record labels (as parody songs generate royalties, which in turn generate revenue for the label). According to Yankovic, "They didn't say I couldn't do the parody... they just said they'd let me know 'when the time was right'."[6] As such, Yankovic and his record label postponed the album's release date and cancelled their upcoming tour. Finally, months later, Yankovic got a response from Atlantic: "The 'right' time, apparently, was 'never'."[6]

Yankovic had a policy of obtaining approval prior to releasing his parodies from the original artist's record company, but after a miscommunication surrounding "Amish Paradise", a parody of Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise", he sought permission directly from the artist. Yankovic told NPR that this was the first time a record label has denied a release of one of his parodies.[5] Given that Blunt had given his blessing to record the parody, Yankovic noted that there was no way Atlantic could legally forbid the parody: "James Blunt could still let me put it on my album if he really wanted to, but he obviously doesn't want to alienate his own record company [...] and my label could release the parody without Atlantic's blessing, but they don't really want to go to war with another label over this."[5] In the end, Yankovic concluded that the issue was "more of a political matter than a legal matter".[5]

However, because Blunt himself had no issue with the parody, and because the parody had already been recorded, Yankovic decided to release it online as a free digital download.[7] "[I]f James Blunt himself were objecting," Yankovic told NPR, "I wouldn't even offer my parody for free on my Web site. But since it's a bunch of suits — who are actually going against their own artist's wishes — I have absolutely no problem with it."[5][7] The song was later officially mirrored on a number of "Weird Al" Yankovic fansites and blogs, including Al-oholics Anonymous, WeirdAlForum, WeirdAlStar, WeirdAlShow, and AllThingsYank.[7] Still needing a lead parody for his album, Yankovic recorded "White & Nerdy" (a parody of Chamillionaire's "Ridin'"). This single would go on to be Yankovic's most-popular song, and his first top 10 Billboard hit.[1]

The digital single's cover art (spoofing the cover of Blunt's album Back to Bedlam) was the product of a fan named Aron Shay,[8] which had been submitted to the fansite Al-oholics Anonymous as part of a calendar contest.[9] The image was later used on Yankovic's official MySpace page, and has since become the de facto cover art for the single.[10]

The video for Straight Outta Lynwood's second single, "White & Nerdy", depicts Yankovic taking revenge, of sorts, against Atlantic Records by vandalizing their English Wikipedia article by blanking all text and replacing it with the words "YOU SUCK!" in large letters.[11] This particular revenge has since actually been repeatedly performed by online vandals. Yankovic has said that he does not approve of the vandalism, though he admits being amused by it.[12] In addition, the video also shows Yankovic viewing his MySpace page and for a split second, "You're Pitiful" is visible as his profile song.[13]

In 2009, while compiling the track listing for his then-upcoming greatest hits album The Essential "Weird Al" Yankovic, Blunt and his company were once again approached by Yankovic; this time, however, Yankovic was hoping that they would allow the long-shelved parody to be released on the compilation record. The request was denied, and Yankovic later tweeted: "In case you were hoping for 'You're Pitiful' to be included on my Essentials collection, sorry, this just in from Blunt's manager: 'Thanks for your email, but both James and I will never approve this parody to be released on any label.'"[14]

In mid-2016, while preparing to release his career-spanning box set Squeeze Box, Yankovic once again reached out to Blunt to see if in the seven years he had changed his mind. Once again, however, Yankovic was denied permission to release the song, and he tweeted: "Sadly, [James Blunt] won’t let me include 'You’re Pitiful' on my box set."[15]

Nathan Rabin wrote that the parody was amusing but that "it was nowhere near as strong as the geek anthem [i.e. 'White & Nerdy'] that would become the first single off [of] 2006’s Straight Outta Lynwood".[1]

I'm a fan of his, particularly the earliest stuff he did, though he got his notoriety and his fame for what were genius moments along the way, and they were really exciting. And for me, I've only been flattered by parodies of my own songs. There are some great ones out there. I have absolutely no problem with Al. I think it's a huge compliment for what he's done. At the same time, it's generally not my favorite of the parodies. I think it was a safe one. It wasn't as exciting as some others. There's one really special one which you should look up by a guy called Tom Gleeson, and it's just really clever. And for me, that was a more exciting one.[16]

Weird Al wearing his "Atlantic Records Sucks" shirt during a performance of "You're Pitiful", on August 8, 2007, at the Ohio State Fair.

On the concert tour for Straight Outta Lynwood, Yankovic performed the song initially wearing a long-sleeved shirt, and progressively removing clothing to reveal different layers underneath (as Blunt does in the video for "You're Beautiful"). The penultimate T-shirt revealed says "Atlantic Records Sucks".[17] During his 2010 tour, this shirt was modified from the original, stating "Atlantic Records STILL Sucks".[18] The final T-shirt is the face of SpongeBob SquarePants. Yankovic then removed his pants to reveal boxer shorts with red hearts, a pink tutu, and fishnet stockings.[17]

^Straight Outta Lynwood (liner). "Weird Al" Yankovic. Volcano Records. 2006. Note: While "You're Pitiful" did not end up on Straight Outta Lynwood, it was recorded during the same sessions as the other tracks that did. This means that, production-wise, the credits for "You're Pitiful" and Straight Outta Lynwood are the same.

1.
"Weird Al" Yankovic
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Alfred Matthew Weird Al Yankovic is an American singer, songwriter, parodist, record producer, satirist, actor, voice actor, music video director, film producer, and author. Since his first-aired comedy song in 1976, he has more than 12 million albums, recorded more than 150 parody and original songs. His works have earned him four Grammy Awards and a further 11 nominations, four gold records, Weird Als first top ten Billboard album and single were both released in 2006, nearly three decades into his career. His latest album, Mandatory Fun, became his first number-one album during its debut week and he directed later videos himself and went on to direct for other artists including Ben Folds, Hanson, The Black Crowes, and The Presidents of the United States of America. Weird Al has stated that he may forgo traditional albums in favor of timely releases of singles, in addition to recording his albums, Weird Al wrote and starred in the film UHF and The Weird Al Show. He has also made guest appearances and voice acting roles on television shows and video web content. He has also written two books, When I Grow Up and My New Teacher and Me. Yankovic was born in Downey, California and raised in Lynwood. He is the child of Mary Elizabeth and Nick Yankovic. Mary, who was of Italian and English descent, had come to California from Kentucky, Als first accordion lesson, which sparked his career in music, was on the day before his sixth birthday. A door-to-door salesman traveling through Lynwood offered the Yankovic parents a choice of accordion or guitar lessons at a music school. Yankovic said that parents chose the accordion because they were convinced it would revolutionize rock and he continued lessons at the school for three years before continuing to learn on his own. Yankovics early accordion role models included Frankie Yankovic and Myron Floren, in the 1970s, Yankovic was a big fan of Elton John and claims Johns Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album was partly how I learned to play rock n roll on the accordion. Other sources of inspiration for his comedy come from Mad magazine, Monty Python, Yankovic began kindergarten a year earlier than most children, and he skipped second grade. My classmates seemed to think I was some kind of rocket scientist so I was labeled an early on. As his unusual schooling left him two years younger than most of his classmates, Yankovic was not interested in sports or social events at school and we started the club just to get an extra picture of ourselves in the yearbook. Weird Al graduated in 1975 and was valedictorian of his senior class, Yankovic attended California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo where he earned a bachelors degree in architecture. Yankovic received his first exposure via southern California and syndicated radio personality Dr. Dementos radio show, saying If there hadnt been a Dr. Demento. The tapes first song, Belvedere Cruisin - about his familys Plymouth Belvedere - was played on Dementos comedy radio show, launching Yankovics career

2.
James Blunt
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James Hillier Blount, better known by his stage name James Blunt, is an English singer-songwriter and former reconnaissance officer for the British Army. He originally signed to EMI Music Publishing and is signed to Custard Records. Blunt rose to prominence in 2004 with the release of his studio album Back to Bedlam, achieving worldwide fame with the singles Youre Beautiful. The album sold over 11 million copies worldwide, topping the UK Albums Chart, Youre Beautiful was number 1 in the UK, US and a dozen other countries. Back to Bedlam, was the best selling album of the 2000s in the UK and he has gone on to sell over 20 million albums and 20 million singles worldwide. He has received awards, including two Brit Awards—winning Best British Male in 2006, two MTV Video Music Awards, two Ivor Novello Awards as well as receiving five Grammy Award nominations. He was an officer in the Life Guards, a cavalry regiment of the British Army. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate for Music in 2016 by University of Bristol, Blunt was born at an army hospital in Tidworth, Hampshire, England, the first of three children to Colonel Charles Blount and Jane Ann Farran Blount. His father was an officer in the 13th/18th Royal Hussars and then a helicopter pilot. The Blount family has a history of military service, dating back to King Gorm of Denmark ever since their Danish ancestors arrived in England in the 10th century. He grew up primarily in St Mary Bourne in Hampshire, but moved two years depending on his fathers military postings in, Middle Wallop, Cyprus, Soest, York. He also spent time in Cley next the Sea where his father owned Cley Windmill and he was educated at Elstree School in Woolhampton, Berkshire, and Harrow School, gaining A-levels in Physics, Chemistry and Economics. He went on to study Aerospace Manufacturing Engineering and Sociology at University of Bristol, graduating with a BSc in Sociology in 1996. Like his father, Blunt is a pilot, gaining his fixed winged private pilot licence aged 16, having been sponsored through university on an army bursary, Blunt was committed to serve a minimum of four years in the armed forces. He trained at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, in intake 963, and was commissioned into the Life Guards and he rose to the rank of captain. The Life Guards, part of the Household Cavalry Regiment, were based in Combermere Barracks. Blunt was trained in British Army Training Unit Suffield in Alberta, Canada, in 1999, he volunteered to join a Blues and Royals squadron deploying with NATO to Kosovo. On 12 June 1999, the led the 30, 000-strong NATO peacekeeping force from the Macedonia border towards Pristina International Airport

3.
Straight Outta Lynwood
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Straight Outta Lynwood is the twelfth studio album by Weird Al Yankovic, released on September 26,2006. It was the studio album self-produced by Yankovic. The musical styles on the album are built around parodies and pastiches of pop, the albums lead single, White & Nerdy, is a parody of Chamillionaires hit single Ridin. The single peaked at nine on the Billboard Hot 100, Canadian Idiot also charted. The other half of the album is original material, featuring many style parodies and these style parodies include imitations of specific artists like Brian Wilson, Rage Against the Machine, Sparks, animated musical specials, Cake, and 1980s charity songs. The CD release was a DualDisc, one side of the played the album. Straight Outta Lynwood was met mostly positive reviews, with many critics praising White & Nerdy. Some of the parody songs, however, were met with a more mixed response. The album peaked at number 10 on the Billboard 200, White & Nerdy became Yankovics highest-charting single, as well as his first Platinum-certified single. The record itself was certified Gold for shipments of over 500,000 copies, on July 5,2005, recording for Straight Outta Lynwood officially began at Santa Monica Sound Records, in Santa Monica, California. By late 2005, six originals—Pancreas, Close but No Cigar, Virus Alert, Dont Download This Song, Ill Sue Ya, Ill Sue Ya is a Rage Against the Machine style parody, taking aim at the abundance of frivolous lawsuits in the United States. Dont Download This Song, a parody of 1980s charity songs, such as We are the World, Hands Across America. Describes the perils of online music file-sharing, Virus Alert is a style parody of Sparks, specifically their work in the mid-1970s, such as their album Kimono My House. It details the evil that lurks in your email inbox, Close but No Cigar is a style parody of Cake. It tells the story of a man that breaks up with his seemingly perfect girlfriends due to the most inconsequential of flaws, the final original recorded, Pancreas, is a song mainly about the biological functions of the aforementioned organ. The song is an imitation of the musical stylings of Brian Wilson, specifically his work found on the 1966 album Pet Sounds, released by the Beach Boys, and their aborted follow-up album, Smile. Yankovic joked that the reason the song was written was because my pancreas has given so much to me over the years, on February 19,2006, Yankovic began working on the albums parodies. During these sessions, three parodies were recorded, the first of these, Canadian Idiot, is a play on American Idiot by Green Day and it is a satirical commentary on American nationalism and the stereotypical American view of Canadians

4.
Star Trek
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Star Trek is an American science fiction media franchise based on the television series created by Gene Roddenberry. The first television series, simply called Star Trek and now referred to as The Original Series, debuted in 1966 and it followed the interstellar adventures of Captain James T. Kirk and his crew aboard the starship USS Enterprise, an exploration vessel. The Star Trek canon of the franchise include The Original Series, a series, four spin-off television series, its film franchise. In creating Star Trek, Roddenberry was inspired by the Horatio Hornblower novels, the satirical book Gullivers Travels and these adventures continued in the short-lived Star Trek, The Animated Series and six feature films. The adventures of The Next Generation crew continued in four feature films. In 2009, the franchise underwent a reboot set in an alternate timeline, or Kelvin Timeline. This film featured a new cast portraying younger versions of the crew from the show, their adventures were continued in the sequel film. The thirteenth film feature and sequel, Star Trek Beyond, was released to coincide with the franchises 50th anniversary, a new Star Trek TV series, titled Star Trek, Discovery, will premiere in May 2017 on the digital platform CBS All Access. Star Trek has been a phenomenon for decades. Fans of the franchise are called Trekkies or Trekkers, the franchise spans a wide range of spin-offs including games, figurines, novels, toys, and comics. Star Trek had an attraction in Las Vegas that opened in 1998. At least two museum exhibits of props travel the world, the series has its own full-fledged constructed language, Klingon. Several parodies have been made of Star Trek, in addition, viewers have produced several fan productions. As of July 2016, the franchise had generated $10 billion in revenue, Star Trek is noted for its cultural influence beyond works of science fiction. The franchise is also noted for its civil rights stances. The Original Series included one of televisions first multiracial casts, Star Trek references can be found throughout popular culture from movies such as the submarine thriller Crimson Tide to the animated series South Park. As early as 1964, Gene Roddenberry drafted a proposal for the series that would become Star Trek

5.
Cosplay
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Cosplay, a contraction of the words costume play, is a performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character. Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture and a use of the term cosplay applies to any costumed role-playing in venues apart from the stage. Any entity that lends itself to dramatic interpretation may be taken up as a subject, favorite sources include manga and anime, comic books and cartoons, video games, and live-action films and television series. The term cosplay is a Japanese portmanteau of the English terms costume, the term was coined by Nobuyuki Takahashi of Studio Hard while attending the 1984 World Science Fiction Convention in Los Angeles. He was impressed by the hall and the fans and reported on both in Japanese magazine My Anime. The coinage reflects a common Japanese method of abbreviation in which the first two moras of a pair of words are used to form an independent compound, costume becomes kosu, Costume parties or fancy dress parties were popular from the 19th century onwards. Most specific costumes described therein are for historical figures although some are sourced from fiction, one of the earliest recorded examples of costuming based on an existing character from popular media were costumes based on A. D. Condos science fiction comic character Mr. Skygack, from Mars, in 1908, a Mr. and Mrs. William Fell attended a masquerade at a skating rink in Cincinnati, Ohio wearing Mr. Skygack and Miss Dillpickles costumes. Shortly after, in 1910, a woman won first prize at masquerade ball in Tacoma. The first people to wear costumes to attend a convention were science fiction fans Forrest J Ackerman, paul and the 1936 film Things to Come, designed and created by Douglas. Ackerman later stated that he thought everyone was supposed to wear a costume at a science fiction convention, although only he and Douglas did. Fan costuming caught on, however, and the 2nd Worldcon, david Kyle won the masquerade wearing a Ming the Merciless costume created by Leslie Perri, while Robert A. W. Lowndes received second place with a Bar Senestro costume. Other costumed attendees included guest of honor E. E. Smith as Northwest Smith and both Ackerman and Douglas wearing their futuristicostumes again, masquerades and costume balls continued to be part of World Science Fiction Convention tradition thereafter. Early Worldcon masquerade balls featured a band, dancing, food, contestants either walked across a stage or a cleared area of the dance floor. Ackerman wore a Hunchbackerman of Notre Dame costume to the 3rd Worldcon in 1941, which included a designed and created by Ray Harryhausen. Douglas wore an Akka costume, the mask made by Harryhausen, to the 3rd Worldcon. Rules governing costumes became established in response to specific costumes and costuming trends, the first nude contestant at a Worldcon masquerade was in 1952 but the height of this trend was in the 1970s and early 1980s, with a few every year. This eventually led to No Costume is No Costume rule, which banned full nudity, mike Resnick describes the best of the nude costumes as Kris Lundi wearing a harpy costume to the 32nd Worldcon in 1974

6.
SpongeBob SquarePants (character)
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SpongeBob SquarePants is a titular character, and the protagonist of the American animated television series of the same name. He is voiced by actor and comedian Tom Kenny, and first appeared on television in the pilot episode on May 1,1999. SpongeBob SquarePants was created and designed by cartoonist and marine biologist Stephen Hillenburg shortly after the cancellation of Rockos Modern Life in 1996, Hillenburg intended to create a series about an over-optimistic sponge that annoys other characters. Hillenburg compared the concept to Laurel and Hardy and Pee-wee Herman, as he drew the character, he decided that a squeaky-clean square fit the concept. His name is derived from Bob the Sponge, the host of Hillenburgs comic strip The Intertidal Zone that he drew in the 1980s while teaching marine biology to visitors of the Ocean Institute. SpongeBob is a naïve and goofy sea sponge who works as a fry cook in the underwater town of Bikini Bottom. The character has received critical response from media critics and achieved popularity with both children and adults, though he has been involved in public controversy. SpongeBob appeared in a We Are Family Foundation video promoting tolerance and he works as a fry cook at a local fast food restaurant, the Krusty Krab, to which he is obsessively attached. At work, SpongeBob answers to Eugene Krabs, a greedy, miserly crab who shows SpongeBob favor, alongside his ill-tempered, hostile and his favorite hobbies include his occupation, jelly-fishing, karate, relentless fandom of superheroes Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy, and blowing bubbles. He is often seen hanging around with his best friend Patrick, a recurring gag in several episodes is SpongeBobs extremely poor boating ability and his repeated failures to pass his road test at Mrs. Puffs Boating School. He lives in a pineapple with his pet snail Gary. Stephen Hillenburg first became fascinated with the ocean as a child, also at a young age, he began developing his artistic abilities. During college, he majored in biology and minored in art. He planned to return to college eventually to pursue a degree in art. After graduating in 1984, he joined the Ocean Institute, an organization in Dana Point, California, dedicated to educating the public about marine science and maritime history. While he was there, he initially had the idea that would lead to the creation of SpongeBob SquarePants, the host of the comic was Bob the Sponge who, unlike SpongeBob, resembled an actual sea sponge. In 1987, Hillenburg left the institute to pursue an animation career, while working on the series, Hillenburg met writer Martin Olson, who saw his previous comic The Intertidal Zone. Olson liked the idea and suggested Hillenburg to create a series of marine animals, I hadnt even thought about making a show

7.
Tutu (clothing)
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The modern tutu is a dress worn as a costume in a ballet performance, often with attached bodice. It may be made of tarlatan, muslin, silk, tulle, gauze, modern tutus have two basic types, the Romantic tutu is soft and bell-shaped, reaching the calf or ankle, the Classical tutu is short and stiff, projecting horizontally from the waist and hip. The derivation of the word tutu is unknown, the word was not recorded anywhere until 1881. One theory is that it is derived from the word tulle. Another theory is that it derives from French babytalk for bottom, during that era, the abonnés were encouraged to mix with the girls in the foyer. It is suggested the expression came from the abonnés playfully patting the back of the dress with the saying pan-pan cucul. A third, related theory suggests a derivation from the more vulgar French word, during this era, women wore pantalettes as underwear, which were open at the crotch. The abonnés favoured the very front rows in the hope of a view. This is supported by the description by nineteenth-century balletomane, Charles Nuitter, fashion designers have often been involved in design for ballet. Fashion designers Cecil Beaton in England, Christian Lacroix in France, the Romantic tutu is still based on Marie Taglionis original costume, though modern materials mean it is lighter and may be more transparent. The hem falls between the knee and ankle, the Inverted Bell tutu is midway between the classical tutu and the Romantic tutu. It is made of layers of tulle which jut out similar to a classical tutu. There are several versions of the modern tutu, Classical tutu, the lower, short layers of tulle support the top layers, making them jut out from the hip. Pancake tutu, this tutu is supported by a hoop and is very flat, platter tutu, similar to the pancake tutu but sitting at the waist instead of the hip. American tutu, Very short ruffles of tulle are loosely sewn on to a pantie to give a soft effect, the story of a Swan Lake tutu. Dancewear Through the Ages An Inside Look at the Costumes of the New York City Ballet Pictures of tutus tulle skirt

8.
Synthesizer
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A synthesizer is an electronic musical instrument that generates electric signals that are converted to sound through instrument amplifiers and loudspeakers or headphones. Synthesizers may either imitate instruments like piano, Hammond organ, flute, vocals, natural sounds like ocean waves, etc. or generate new electronic timbres. Synthesizers without built-in controllers are called sound modules, and are controlled via USB, MIDI or CV/gate using a controller device. Synthesizers use various methods to generate electronic signals, synthesizers were first used in pop music in the 1960s. In the 1970s, synths were used in disco, especially in the late 1970s, in the 1980s, the invention of the relatively inexpensive, mass market Yamaha DX7 synth made synthesizers widely available. 1980s pop and dance music often made use of synthesizers. In the 2010s, synthesizers are used in genres of pop, rock. Contemporary classical music composers from the 20th and 21st century write compositions for synthesizer, the beginnings of the synthesizer are difficult to trace, as it is difficult to draw a distinction between synthesizers and some early electric or electronic musical instruments. One of the earliest electric musical instruments, the telegraph, was invented in 1876 by American electrical engineer Elisha Gray. He accidentally discovered the sound generation from a self-vibrating electromechanical circuit and this musical telegraph used steel reeds with oscillations created by electromagnets transmitted over a telegraph line. Gray also built a simple loudspeaker device into later models, consisting of a diaphragm in a magnetic field. This instrument was a remote electromechanical musical instrument that used telegraphy, though it lacked an arbitrary sound-synthesis function, some have erroneously called it the first synthesizer. In 1897, Thaddeus Cahill invented the Teleharmonium, which used dynamos, and was capable of additive synthesis like the Hammond organ, however, Cahills business was unsuccessful for various reasons, and similar but more compact instruments were subsequently developed, such as electronic and tonewheel organs. In 1906, American engineer, Lee De Forest ushered in the electronics age and he invented the first amplifying vacuum tube, called the Audion tube. This led to new entertainment technologies, including radio and sound films, ondes Martenot and Trautonium were continuously developed for several decades, finally developing qualities similar to later synthesizers. In the 1920s, Arseny Avraamov developed various systems of graphic sonic art, in 1938, USSR engineer Yevgeny Murzin designed a compositional tool called ANS, one of the earliest real-time additive synthesizers using optoelectronics. The earliest polyphonic synthesizers were developed in Germany and the United States, during the three years that Hammond manufactured this model,1,069 units were shipped, but production was discontinued at the start of World War II. Both instruments were the forerunners of the electronic organs and polyphonic synthesizers

9.
Halo 2
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Halo 2 is a 2004 first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie Studios. Released for the Xbox video game console on November 9,2004, the game is the installment in the Halo franchise. A Microsoft Windows version of the game was released on May 31,2007, the game features a new game engine, as well as using the Havok physics engine, added weapons and vehicles, and new multiplayer maps. The player alternately assumes the roles of the human Master Chief, after the success of Combat Evolved, a sequel was expected and highly anticipated. Bungie found inspiration in plot points and gameplay elements that had left out of their first game. Time constraints forced a series of cutbacks in the size and scope of the game, among Halo 2s marketing efforts was an alternate reality game called I Love Bees that involved players solving real-world puzzles. On release, Halo 2 was the most popular game on Xbox Live. Halo 2 is the best-selling first-generation Xbox game with at least 6.3 million copies sold in the United States alone, the game received critical acclaim, with most publications lauding the strong multiplayer component. The campaign however, was the focus of criticism for its cliffhanger ending, a high-definition remake of Halo 2 was released as part of Halo, The Master Chief Collection on November 11,2014, for the Xbox One. Halo 2 is a game, with players predominantly experiencing gameplay from a first-person perspective. Players use a combination of human and alien weaponry and vehicles to progress through the games levels, the players health bar is not visible, but players are instead equipped with a damage-absorbing shield that regenerates when not taking fire. Certain weapons can be dual-wielded, allowing the player to trade accuracy, the player can carry two weapons at a time, with each weapon having advantages and disadvantages in different combat situations. For example, most Covenant weapons eschew disposable ammo clips for a contained battery, however, these weapons can overheat if fired continuously for prolonged periods. Human weapons are effective at penetrating shields and require reloading. The player can carry a total of eight grenades to dislodge, New in Halo 2 is the ability to board enemy vehicles that are near the player and traveling at low speeds. The player or AI latches onto the vehicle and forcibly ejects the other driver from the vehicle, the games Campaign mode offers options for both single-player and cooperative multiplayer participation. In campaign mode, the player must complete a series of levels that encompass Halo 2s storyline and these levels alternate between the Master Chief and a Covenant Elite called the Arbiter, who occupy diametrically opposed roles in the storys conflict. There are four levels of difficulty in campaign mode, Easy, Normal, Heroic, there is hidden content within the game, including Easter eggs, messages, hidden objects, and weapons

10.
Drum machine
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A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums, cymbals, other percussion instruments, and often basslines. Drum machines are most commonly associated with electronic music such as house music. They are usually used when session drummers are not available or if the production cannot afford the cost of a drummer. Also, many modern drum machines can also produce sounds, as well as allowing the user to compose unique drum beats. In the 2010s, most modern machines are sequencers with a sample playback or synthesizer component that specializes in the reproduction of drum timbres. The invention could produce sixteen different rhythms, each associated with a pitch, either individually or in any combination, including en masse. Received with considerable interest when it was introduced in 1932. The next generation of rhythm machines played only pre-programmed rhythms such as mambo, tango, Chamberlin Rhythmate In 1957 Californian Harry Chamberlin constructed a tape loop-based drum machine called the Chamberlin Rhythmate. It had 14 tape loops with a head that allowed playback of different tracks on each piece of tape. It contained a volume and a control and also had a separate amplifier with bass, treble, and volume controls. The tape loops were of real acoustic jazz drum kits playing different style beats, with additions to tracks such as bongos, clave, castanets. First commercial product – Wurlitzer Side Man In 1959 Wurlitzer released a drum machine called the Side Man. The Side Man was intended as an accompaniment for the Wurlitzer organ range. The Side Man offered a choice of 12 electronically generated, predefined rhythm patterns with variable tempos, the sound source was a series of vacuum tubes which created 10 preset electronic drum sounds. Combinations of these different sets of rhythms and drum sounds created popular rhythmic patterns of the day, e. g. waltzes and these combinations were selected by a rotary knob on the top of the Side Man box. The tempo of the patterns was controlled by a slider that increased the speed of rotation of the wiper arm, the Side Man had a panel of 10 buttons for manually triggering drum sounds, and a remote player to control the machine while playing from an organ keyboard. The Side Man was housed in a cabinet that contained the sound-generating circuitry. Raymond Scott In 1960, Raymond Scott constructed the Rhythm Synthesizer and, in 1963, scotts machines were used for recording his album Soothing Sounds for Baby series

11.
Record producer
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A record producer or music producer oversees and manages the sound recording and production of a band or performers music, which may range from recording one song to recording a lengthy concept album. A producer has many roles during the recording process, the roles of a producer vary. The producer may perform these roles himself, or help select the engineer, the producer may also pay session musicians and engineers and ensure that the entire project is completed within the record companies budget. A record producer or music producer has a broad role in overseeing and managing the recording. Producers also often take on an entrepreneurial role, with responsibility for the budget, schedules, contracts. In the 2010s, the industry has two kinds of producers with different roles, executive producer and music producer. Executive producers oversee project finances while music producers oversee the process of recording songs or albums. In most cases the producer is also a competent arranger, composer. The producer will also liaise with the engineer who concentrates on the technical aspects of recording. Noted producer Phil Ek described his role as the person who creatively guides or directs the process of making a record, indeed, in Bollywood music, the designation actually is music director. The music producers job is to create, shape, and mold a piece of music, at the beginning of record industry, producer role was technically limited to record, in one shot, artists performing live. The role of producers changed progressively over the 1950s and 1960s due to technological developments, the development of multitrack recording caused a major change in the recording process. Before multitracking, all the elements of a song had to be performed simultaneously, all of these singers and musicians had to be assembled in a large studio and the performance had to be recorded. As well, for a song that used 20 instruments, it was no longer necessary to get all the players in the studio at the same time. Examples include the rock sound effects of the 1960s, e. g. playing back the sound of recorded instruments backwards or clanging the tape to produce unique sound effects. These new instruments were electric or electronic, and thus they used instrument amplifiers, new technologies like multitracking changed the goal of recording, A producer could blend together multiple takes and edit together different sections to create the desired sound. For example, in jazz fusion Bandleader-composer Miles Davis album Bitches Brew, producers like Phil Spector and George Martin were soon creating recordings that were, in practical terms, almost impossible to realise in live performance. Producers became creative figures in the studio, other examples of such engineers includes Joe Meek, Teo Macero, Brian Wilson, and Biddu

12.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
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The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is an online newspaper and former print newspaper covering Seattle, Washington, United States, and the surrounding metropolitan area. The newspaper was founded in 1863 as the weekly Seattle Gazette and it was long one of the citys two daily newspapers, along with The Seattle Times, until it became an online-only publication on March 18,2009. J. R. Watson founded the P-I, Seattles first newspaper, on December 10,1863, the paper failed after a few years and was renamed the Weekly Intelligencer in 1867 by the new owner, Sam Maxwell. In 1878, after publishing the Intelligencer as a morning daily, Hanford also acquired the daily Puget Sound Dispatch and the weekly Pacific Tribune and folded both papers into the Intelligencer. In 1881, the Intelligencer merged with the Seattle Post, the names were combined to form the present-day name. In 1886, Indiana businessman Leigh S. J. Hunt came to Seattle and purchased the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, circulation stood at 31,000 in 1911. In 1912, editor Eric W. Allen left the paper to found the University of Oregon School of Journalism, William Randolph Hearst took over the paper in 1921, and the Hearst Corporation owns the P-I to this day. Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt had a relationship with the P-I. In 1936,35 P-I writers and members of The Newspaper Guild went on strike against arbitrary dismissals and assignment changes. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters joined the strike in solidarity, Roger Simpson and William Ames co-wrote their book Unionism or Hearst, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer Strike of 1936 on the topic. Also in 1936, their son-in-law Clarence John Boettiger took over as publisher and he brought his wife Anna, the Roosevelts daughter, to also work at the paper. Anna became editor of the womens page, Boettiger left Seattle to enter the U. S. Army in April 1943, while Anna stayed at the paper to help keep a liberal voice in the running of the paper. After Boettigers absence, the paper increasingly turned conservative with Hearsts new acting publisher, Anna left Seattle in December 1943 to live in the White House with her youngest child, Johnny. This effectively ended the Roosevelt-Boettiger ties with the P-I, on December 15,2006, no copies were printed as a result of a power outage caused by the December 2006 Pacific Northwest storms. It was the first time in 70 years that publication had been suspended, on January 9,2009, the Hearst Corporation announced that after losing money on it every year since 2000, Hearst was putting the P-I up for sale. Analysts did not expect a buyer to be found, in view of declining circulation in the U. S. newspaper industry and other newspapers on the market going unsold. Five days before the 60-day deadline, the P-I reported that the Hearst Corporation had given several P-I reporters provisional job offers for an edition of the P-I. On March 16,2009, the posted a headline on its front page, followed shortly after by a short news story

William Shatner played the unflappable Captain James T. Kirk in The Original Series, The Animated Series, and seven films, helping to create the standard for all subsequent fictional Starfleet captains.

Sir Patrick Stewart, who played Captain Jean-Luc Picard in The Next Generation and subsequent films